feel her tense any time the draft is mentioned. With all the other drama in our lives, she’s never really allowed us to discuss our future. Any time I’ve brought up delaying entering the draft, she’s either blown it off or told me I’m being ridiculous.
Deep down, I know being drafted to a city far away wouldn’t end our relationship. Kay is my future, and I’m hers. That doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about what that future should look like in the upcoming years.
I have.
Long and hard.
“So, Mason.” Stan twists to give me his full attention now that he’s done with Noah. “All year you’ve been projected to be a top-five pick if you were to declare for the draft. Anything you’d like to say now that the season is officially over?”
I look down at Kay. She’s still smiling, but I see the strain behind her gray eyes, and her pulse beats erratically beneath my fingers on her nape.
“I’ve actually been thinking about the draft a lot this season, Stan.”
Kay’s nails pinch hard through my jersey as she clutches at me, nervous energy radiating from her. I lock eyes with her while I speak to Stan.
“I’ve decided I’m not going to declare this year.”
“What?” Her voice is a shocked gasp as she turns to stone under my arm.
“I’ve decided to play out my eligibility with the Hawks.”
I’m vaguely aware that the guys are reacting to the news as well, but I ignore them and the barrage of questions coming from Stan. Every bit of my consciousness is on the silent girl at my side, storm clouds rolling inside the glare she sends my way.
“Skittles?” I smooth a thumb along the hard jut of her jaw.
“What the—” She cuts off the curse, aware of the camera trained on us. “What the what?”
I chuckle. I told you she was adorable.
“Yeah, babe?” I cup her cheek.
“You can’t be serious.” It’s a statement, not a question. To her, Brantley, and hell, most of America, me declaring for the draft was a forgone conclusion. If you had asked me prior to September, I would have agreed. Then I saw Grayson spinning her around inside The Nest and the trajectory of my future changed.
“As a heart attack, baby.”
Kay’s eyes flare, a full ring of white showing around her irises, incredulity bleeding off her as she knocks the heel of her hand to my forehead. “Are you concussed? Is that it? Did you take a hard hit to the head with one of your tackles? This is nuts.”
There’s that sass I love so much. It doesn’t bother me in the least that it’s being broadcasted to the millions across America watching us on TV.
“Why?” I ask, and she growls when I deepen my dimples.
She blinks. And blinks again. And again. “It’s the NFL.”
“So?” I shrug.
“So?” Oh that’s not a good octave. “Mason, it’s the National Football League.”
Ooo, full-named. Careful…someone is getting feisty.
“I’m well aware of what the acronym stands for, babe.” I reach for her as she steps out of my hold.
“But it’s your dream.” Her voice softens, almost sounding like she’s heartbroken as she says it. God. The way she wants this for me as badly as I have my entire life is why I’m ass over cleats in love with her.
“And it will still be my dream next year.” I cup her nape again and bring her back to me. “You’re now a part of that dream.” I tighten my grip at the shine overtaking her gaze. She looks at me like I’ve hung the moon. A guy could get addicted to that. “It’s a win-win for me. I get to try for a repeat”—I hold my helmet out and the guys bump it with theirs—“and get to spend more time with you before moving to god knows where and being apart until you graduate.”
I wait, prepared for her to issue another argument, but it never comes. Instead, her hands come up, clutching my jersey tight in her grasp, the move catching me so off guard she manages to tug me down to her, sealing her mouth over mine. Our lips, teeth, and tongues clash in the most fervid kiss we’ve ever shared.
Who knows how long it takes for me to remember our audience and the interview I’m supposed to be in the middle of. When I do, I pull back, whispering, “Later,” against her lips.
It take a moment for Kay to do the same, and when she blinks herself out of her daze, she